GLENN STRUNK, PAUL KLINE & RYAN OLENICK TAKE FRIDAY VICTORIES AT BIG DIAMOND SPEEDWAY

News from Big Diamond Speedway - 'Racing in God's Country'
Contacts:Speedway Operators: Fritz & Krista Roehrig - 570.544.5114
Speedway Website: www.bigdiamondspeedway.net
Speedway Address: 50 Big Diamond Road, Box 524, Minersville, PA 17954
Media Contact: Brett Deyo, PR Director - mhtml:{E616BBF2-BCB7-4C31-AE7B-8124AAEE58B3}mid://00000009/!x-usc:mailto:bigdiamondpr@aol.com or 845.728.2781

For Immediate Release/April 29, 2011

Upcoming Events:May 6 (8:15 p.m.) - 358-Modifieds, Sportsman & Roadrunners – Community Night: Valley View/Hegins/Fountain/Klingerstown residents admitted for $10 with proof of address
May 13 (8:15 p.m.) - Freaky Friday 358-Modifieds 35 laps, $3,000 to win, Sportsman & Roadrunners
May 15 (5 p.m.) - Dan Drobnick Welding Enduro

 

'The Professor' Glenn Strunk Charges To Big Diamond 358-Modified Victory; Paul Kline (Sportsman) and Kevin Olenick (Roadrunner) Triumph Friday

 

MINERSVILLE, PA - All he needed was some luck.

Glenn Strunk, making a fulltime return to racing this season, parlayed a fast Vince Gagliardo Sr.-owned Teo-Pro car and prime starting position to victory in Friday night's The Station House 358-Modified 25-lap feature at Big Diamond Speedway. The Bechtelsville, Pa., driver earned $2,000 for the victory.

Paul Kline (U.S.S. Achey Sportsman) and Ryan Olenick (Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner) also visited Victory Lane in the first Friday show of the season at the Schuylkill County oval.  On a wet, cold night, the three-division program was contested on a table-top smooth clay surface. The final feature event was checkered at 10:55 p.m.

Strunk, who won a Grandview Speedway feature last September after several years away from the sport, started from the outside pole via the handicapping system following a DNF in the April 17 opener.

 

On the third attempt at lap one, Strunk used the outside lane to put the Vince's Towing No. 41 into the top spot. New Jersey's Wade Hendrickson, with sponsorship from Delran Auto Body, put the No. 99 into second following a lap-three restart.

The top-two drivers checked out over a 16-lap green-flag stretch with lapped traffic coming into play moments before a lap-19 caution slowed the pace.

Duane Howard, up from 11th starting spot, put the BPG Racing No. 4 Troyer into second on the 20th lap with an inside pass on Hendrickson. The Oley, Pa., driver chased Strunk to the finish.  For Strunk, it was his fourth career Big Diamond victory.

"I beat Duane Howard!" Strunk exclaimed, receiving a roar from the crowd.

Hendrickson, of Lawrenceville, N.J., was third in just his third ever appearance at the track. Keith Hoffman of Whitehall, Pa., was fourth - his second straight top-five - after starting 13th and Jeff Strunk of Bechtelsville, Pa., drove Norm Hansell's No. 357 to fifth from 20th starting spot.

358-Mod heat winners were G. Strunk, Kyle Follweiler and Kevin Albert Jr. John Willman topped the consolation.

The Shiley Fabrication Fast Lap award went to G. Strunk at 16.686 seconds.

The five fastest cars from the transponder scoring in the feature were pulled to the tech area where the oil pans were removed in search of illegal "big-bore-short stroke" engine combinations. All five cars - G. Strunk, Howard, Hendrickson, Laubach and Ryan Godown - were deemed legal by track officials.

Reading, Pa.'s Kline started third and trailed pole starter Daryl Dissinger for the opening 12 laps of the U.S.S. Achey Sportsman 20-lap event. Kline had pressed Dissinger heavily until a caution on the 12th lap provided an open outside lane for his No. 14. Kline hooked up on the top, powered by Dissinger and raced to his sixth career Big Diamond Sportsman victory.

Tim Fitzpatrick of Branchdale, Pa., started seventh and arrived in second on lap 17. Dissinger (Hummelstown, Pa.) Doug Hendricks (Orwigsburg, Pa.) and Kenny Eckert Jr. (Minersville, Pa.) trailed.

Jordan Dreher, Kline and Brad Brightbill won Sportsman heats, with Steven Hughes the consolation winner.

Kline was the Shiley Fabrications fast timer at 17.661 seconds.

Former two-time champion Olenick of Forestville, Pa., won the 20-lap Roadrunner main under heavy pressure from Opening Day victor Ricky Bender. For the second half of the event, Olenick's Hoysock Landscaping No. 450 led Bender by less than a car-length. Olenick won at Big D for the ninth time.

Joliett, Pa.'s Bender, who charged from 14th, settled for runner-up pay.  Elvin Brennan III of Forestville, Pa., was third followed by Ryan Olenick (Forestville, Pa.) and Kirby Schlappich (Temple, Pa.).

K. Olenick and Mike Radocha topped the heats.

 

Racing resumes on May 6 at 8:15 p.m. with The Station House 358-Modifieds, U.S.S. Achey Sportsman and Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunners in action. Valley View/Hegins/Fountain/Klingerstown residents will admitted for $10 with proof of address as part of the Community Night program.

Big Diamond Speedway is a three-eighths-mile clay oval racing facility located just two miles outside of Minersville, Pa. For further information on the speedway, call 570.544.5114, e-mail mhtml:{E616BBF2-BCB7-4C31-AE7B-8124AAEE58B3}mid://00000009/!x-usc:mailto:bigdiamondpr@aol.com or visit www.bigdiamondspeedway.net. The speedway mailing address is 50 Big Diamond Road P.O. Box 524 Minersville, Pa. 17954.

BIG DIAMOND SPEEDWAY EVENT SUMMARY - APRIL 29, 2011

The Station House 358-Modified Feature Finish: GLENN STRUNK, Duane Howard, Wade Hendrickson, Keith Hoffman, Jeff Strunk, Rick Laubach, Billy Pauch Jr., Mike Gular, Meme DeSantis, Gary Hager, John Willman, Sammy Piazza, Larry Solomon, Ryan Godown, Neil Huber, Kyle Follweiler, Colt Harris, Ray Swinehart, Michael Weinert, Jordan Umbenhauer, Ron Haring Jr., Gary Wagner Jr., Doug Manmiller, Craig Von Dohren, Kevin Albert Jr., Andy Burkhart.

Did Not Qualify: Dale Hartz, Scott Miller, Dan Hineline.

U.S.S. Achey Sportsman Feature Finish: PAUL KLINE, Tim Fitzpatrick, Daryl Dissinger, Doug Hendricks, Kenny Eckert Jr., Brad Brightbill, Frank Yankowski, Kevin Beach Jr., Mike Lisowski, Stephen Hughes, Billy Moyer Jr., Nick DeSantis, Jordan Dreher, Jason James, Jared Umbenhauer, Corey Renninger, Ray Woodall Jr., Wayne Witmer, Charlie Webber, Kaitie McCardle, Randy Yaple, Steve Searock IV, Jeremy Hertzog.

Did Not Start: Mike Mammana

Did Not Qualify: Warren Floyd Jr., Joshua Hertzog.

Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner Feature Finish: KEVIN OLENICK, Ricky Bender, Elvin Brennan III, Ryan Olenick, Kirby Schlappich, Ed Kuperavage, Jeremy Becker, Joey Brennan, Chip Kennedy, Jim Kost, Mike Radocha, Shon Elk, Rob Pyle, T.J. Fitzpatrick, Jordan Quinn, Jared Seigfried, Glenn Rowan, Marc Berzowski, Kody Sites, Joe Kavanaugh.